Only Us
by Kaleiket
Summary: "Hashirama, stop planting flowers like a women, and-" "But-" "I.. I think they're cute." "See? They're beautiful! Kawarama, you have much better taste than Tobirama." — "I'm sorry, I can't hear you over my awesome hair-style!" "I saw you cut it with a kunai just last night!" — "You can't pull stars down, Itam-" "Don't listen to Tobirama, Itama! This is what dreams are made out of!"
1. We Lost Him

_A/N:_**_ There are no stories that I can find that have Itama or Kawarama as active characters. Usually, they're either dead or it's a flashback, and I find this highly disappointing. So, I'll try my hand at this._**

**_Drabbles._**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Hashirama sped away from his younger brother's shocked expression, grinning in contentment as he escaped that loudmouthed crybaby.

Finally, he was free. The sense of satisfaction he felt from _(gently)_ shoving Kawarama into his Tobirama's arms could have devoured him whole, if he were a lesser person.

Kawarama was five, and should at least have been able to care for himself a _little_. When he was that age, heck, when he was _younger_, Hashirama recalled waiting with his pregnant mother in an emergency base for hours, along with other Senju women and young children. He _did _have adult supervision, but with everyone so jittery, it would've been the same as if he didn't.

Everyone his age was shivering and some were crying. The adults were all occupied comforting each other. His mother, in particular, was receiving extra attention from the women and medics, due to her pregnancy.

He'd got out just fine without the unneeded attention, and was sure that, _obviously,_ Kawarama was capable of doing the same.

Still, he also knew his pushy, younger brother, Tobirama, was probably following him that very moment, intent on returning Kawarama to him.

Due to that, he was sure to be stealthy.

* * *

Tobirama frowned, glancing over his shoulder at his laughing younger brother as he practically flew on the wooden floors.

* * *

Hashirama raced down the halls, his feet silently tapping the wooden floors as he swiftly made his way to Itama's room. His dark eyes glinted with excitement as he rounded another corner.

_If I can only convince Itama to accompany me, _Hashirama mused, glancing through the window at the orange sun as it crept over the horizon, _If I bring him, and we're long gone by the time Tobirama-_

Hashirama skidded to a halt at the sight of someone Body Flickering into his direct line of sight few meters down the hall, blocking Itama's bedroom door from his vision.

"Older Brother!"

Tobirama was standing there, awkwardly holding a squirming Kawarama on his back. "Hashi-nii!" Kawarama reached for his eldest brother. Being eight, Tobirama wasn't that much bigger than Kawarama himself.

"Kawara-? T-Tobirama! I- Uh, ahaha." The brunette laughed sheepishly as Tobirama stalked toward him, wearing a deep scowl. Tobirama wasted no time in shoving Kawarama into Hashirama's arms.

Hashirama was quick to protest, "But Tobirama-" he fumbled a bit with Kawarama, eyes pleading as he pouted at Tobirama. The younger of the two crossed his arms.

"No! You have to take care of Kawarama yourself."

Hashirama put Kawarama down, the latter climbing onto his feet and clumsily walking over to Tobirama. "I need to-"

"You need to stop being immature!"

"I'm _eleven, _T-!"

("I'm five!" Kawarama excitedly shouted, head looking from Hashirama, to Tobirama, and back.)

"_Silence. _You won't get to simply dismiss your necessary responsibilities when you're Clan Head." Tobirama glared at his older brother, ignoring Kawarama as he struggled to climb back onto Tobirama's back.

"But I can trust my younger brother to pick up where I left off when I need to go and hone my _also necessary_ fighting skills by training, right?" Hashirama asked, winking at Tobirama.

No one noticed Kawarama getting bored and walking off, what with Hashirama trying to convince Tobirama with a pout, and Tobirama, in turn, trying to discourage Hashirama with his glower.

"No." Shot down. "I'll have my responsibilities as well. Father told _you _to watch Kawarama. Stop being irresponsible."

"But why can't you do it? I want to train!" Hashirama's pout intensified as he took a step towards Tobirama. Really, he was aiming for Itama's room, but why not kill two birds with one stone?

"Because I have other things to take care of! If something were to happen to Kawarama, it'd still be _you_ being blamed since it's _your_ respon-"

"Then I'll take the blame! What could happen anyway?"

"_Hashirama_!" Tobirama snapped.

"_Whaaaaaat_?" Hashirama slumped and blew out his cheeks.

"Shut up and listen!" Tobirama clenched his fists and glowered. Hashirama wasn't really affected, "But I want to _train_-"

"_No_, Older Brother, you need to-"

* * *

Itama yawned, stretching his arms and smiling blissfully at the sounds that his bones provided. Sleeping stiffly only paid in the morning, the wages being the satisfaction of his muscles and bones sighing in relief as he stretched. He rubbed an eye with a fist and stood up, dragging his feet out through the back door, to the baths.

Glancing out of the window, he caught sight of the bright and yellow sun, high in the sky. A tired smile adorned his features as he trudged to his destination. He'd just returned from a mission a night before. Finally, after stripping himself of all fabric. Itama stepped into the bath.

After a satisfying 30 minutes, he returned to his room, a towel wrapped firmly around his waist. Then, he set to slowly getting dressed.

* * *

"You're probably not even going to train. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you just wanted to go see Uzumaki-san." Tobirama narrowed his eyes at Hashirama, who panicked and started waving his arms around wildly.

"Nonsense! I want to train, which is why I'm bringing Itam-"

"Or, you could be planning to bring Itama because Uzumaki-san has a soft spot for him." Tobirama suggested offhandedly.

"She- I don't-"

"You. Are. Taking. Kawarama." Tobirama spoke with finality. Hashirama sulked, going into a fetal position, depression radiating off of him.

"Taking Kawarama where?" Itama stepped out of his room and slid the door closed behind him, "He's not even here. Is he with mother?"

"No," Hashirama responded, looking up at Itama from his spot on the floor, "Mother went out to greet the visiting Uzumaki, along with Fath- WHERE'S KAWARAMA?"

Itama flinched, jumping back a little, but Hashirama was in a panic and didn't notice. "Tobirama, he's _gone_!" Hashirama dived into Itama's room, before flying into the closet and ransacking it.

Itama looked confused and fearful, watching Hashirama look under his bed and out of the window, before taking off down the hall that leads to Itama's bathroom.

Itama then turned his head in time to see Tobirama speed in the direction of the kitchen without a word.

"W-Wha-"

"FATHER IS GOING TO _MURDER_ ME, I LOST KAWARAMA!" Hashirama screamed, emerging from Itama's room. He ran in the opposite direction that Tobirama had gone in.

"Kawarama's lost?" Itama asked, looking confused. He stood there for a few moments before he got a hold of himself and bounded off toward the window. Even though he could sense Hashirama halfway across the building, he could clearly hear his brother shouting "_KAWARAMA_?! COME OUT! _KAWARAMA_!"

Tobirama searched for Kawarama more stealthily.

By then, Itama had gotten the gist of what was going on and had flung himself out the window, doing a small flip to land on his feet. The moment they touched the ground, he dashed for the gardens. _If Father finds out we lost Kawarama_, Itama grimaced, _we're all dead._

* * *

_Soooo, you likey? I have what I'd like to call a bad habit of seemingly not continuing stories. But I think I'll try to pick back up, yeah? Tell me what you think!_


	2. Bonsai, Kunai, and Mission Files

_A/N:_**_ This is a Disclaimer. I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden. The characters used in this Fan Fiction belong to Masashi Kishimoto._**

**_Drabbles._**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Kawarama was clutching onto the back of Tobirama's shirt as the elder brother searched high and low for Hashirama.

Tobirama scowled, looking under Hashirama's bed. "Of course he'd try to skip out on filing a mission report."

"Oh- Ah, he probably has his good reasons." Kawarama suggested, blushing when Tobirama shot him a look as he stood.

"What _reasons_? Since when does Older Brother ever have a good reason to do _anything_?" Tobirama speed-walked to the kitchen, hoping to find Hashirama stuffing his face with mushroom-mixed soup or something of the sort.

"Um, when he tried to save the kitchen from burning by-"

"He caused the fire in the first place! He _burns_ water, Itama, _water_! How do you burn water?! _How_?!"

"B-But he-"

"Why would he _try_ to cook in the first place knowing that he can burn water?!" Tobirama's spoke those words through gritted teeth, and his fists were clenched.

"Older Brother, he-"

"_And he tried to put out the fire using Wood Release_! _Wood_! _Wood Release_ to put out a _fire_! _FIRE BURNS WOOD_!"

Tobirama nearly tore the Shoji door off when he slammed it open. "_WHY WOULD YOU TRY TO USE WOOD TO PUT OUT A FIRE_!?"

Hashirama wasn't in there. It was only Butsuma, eating onigiri. "You don't use wood to put out a fire, Tobirama. You know better than that." He scolded.

Tobirama's face burned a dark red as he glowered at his father, "It was Hashirama!" who paid him no mind as he continued munching on.

* * *

Hashirama grinned, planting this row's bonsai in a straight line. "Ahhh, they're gorgeous! Aren't they, Itama?" He flashed his younger brother a smile.

Itama looked back at Hashirama, kicking his feet as he sat upon a large, wooden cube that was made earlier to be sculpted by Hashirama. "They're, uh, nice-"

"Just nice? They're _wonderful_!"

"-but don't you have a mission report to file out for Father?"

Hashirama waved his hand dismissively, using the other to pat on the dirt around the bonsai. "Father won't mind. This is training."

Tobirama stormed out of the patio, with Kawarama clutching onto his wrist. "Training? Is _that_ what you call this?! _Training_!?"

"Ah, Tobira-" Hashirama spun around to face his brother but cut himself off when he saw Tobirama's face flushed a bright red.

"Are you okay?" Itama inquired, hopping off of the cube.

"'Am I o'- _No_!" Tobirama pulled Hashirama off of his knees by the arm.

"Tobirama? Do you need a drink of water?" Hashirama raised an eyebrow, looking Tobirama up and down.

"And risk you setting the house on fire?" He scoffed.

"I won't be cooking anything." Hashirama pouted, brushing his hands off on his pants.

Kawarama detached himself from Tobirama's wrist and shuffled over to where Hashirama stood.

Tobirama took three deep breaths to cool himself down, barely sparing the bonsai a glance. "Hashirama, stop planting flowers like a women, and-"

"But-"

"I.. I think they're cute." Kawarama buried his face into Hashirama's back when he felt Tobirama glower at him.

"See? They're beautiful! Kawarama, you have much better taste than Tobirama." The eldest Senju reached behind him to ruffle Kawarama's hair, wearing a bright grin. "And they're not flowers. They're bonsai."

Tobirama grabbed Hashirama by the wrist and practically dragged him away, inside the house.

Kawarama and Itama stood silently, watching the protesting Hashirama get thrown indoors, and the Shoji door getting slammed behind him once Tobirama stepped inside.

"Will he be okay?" Itama muttered. Hashirama's screams of 'NOOO!', 'MY BONSAI!', and 'TOBIRAMA, STOP!' were heard from the house.

"Ah.. He'll be.. fine." Kawarama winced at the _Crack!_ that echoed from the open window.

Itama glanced around for a few seconds, pondering on what to do. With the chaos inside, chances were if he just casually sauntered to his room, he'd be on the end of Tobirama's wrath or Hashirama's guilt-trip. One or the other.

"So.." He patted the wooden cube behind him. "Do you wanna..?"

"W-Won't Hashirama get mad?" Kawarama frowned, shuffling his feet.

"Well, there's no reason for him to. He can just grow a new one in a few seconds, so.."

Kawarama continued gazing at the floor, his face a light pink. "Y-Yeah, but.."

They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, before Itama pulled out a kunai and set to start sculpting.

"Brother!"

The older Senju tossed Kawarama a kunai as well, before continuing his artwork.

"T-That's not what I meant."

Itama sighed dramatically, digging deep into his ninja pouch and pulling out a scalpel. "Is this better?"

Kawarama gazed at Itama, looking eerily similar to Tobirama. "...Fine."

* * *

"You're _so_ irresponsible!"

"Tobirama, let me go back to my bonsai!"

Tobirama dragged Hashirama through the hallways by the wrist as he ranted, the latter complaining as well but not offering much resistance.

"A _simple_ mission report-"

"Some of them haven't been even been _planted_ yet and-"

"-taking less than _ten minutes_ of your time-"

"-they could _die_ if they aren't planted-"

"-but you're to incompetent to be trusted with _such_ a _simple_ task-" Tobirama ran a hand through his short hair, looking up in exasperation.

"-because they haven't been potted-"

"-and the mission could be _vital_ to this clan's development-"

"-and I should have at _least_ a day of downtime, I mean I just came back and-"

"-and here you are planting _flowers_ instead of-"

"-they're _bonsai_, not _flowers_-"

"_Hashirama, silence_!" Tobirama snapped, shoving Hashirama onto a cushion in front of a table.

"But Tobirama, they might die!" Hashirama attempted to get up, only to be pushed back down by Tobirama, who proceeded to sit on his shoulders. "Tobirama!"

"If this is what it takes to keep you from standing-"

"You're not that heavy, actually." Hashirama put his hands on the table to stand again, only to be bonked on the head by Tobirama.

"Hashirama! Do the mission report!"

Hashirama sighed helplessly, picking up a brush from the jar and uncapping the ink on the table.


	3. Stars

**_A/N: This is a disclaimer. I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden. All characters mentioned in this story belong to Masashi Kishimoto._**

**_Drabbles_**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"What are stars made from?" Kawarama asked, looking up at the twinkling sky.

"Flowers, of course!" Hashirama chirped, without missing a beat, "Really bright flowers that are floating in the sky. They're shined on by the sunlight, which is reflected off the ice in the Land of Snow—"

"Brother, stop filling his head with your lies!" Tobirama snapped, sitting up and covering Kawarama's ears.

Looking away with an ashamed look on his face, Hashirama went into fetal position and brooded, darkness radiating off of him in waves.

It didn't take another second for Tobirama to hit him in the head, "I told you to stop doing that! It's unbecoming of the Clan's Heir."

"_Tobiramaaa,"_ Was the only whined response.

It was one of the rare nights where they all were home at the same time, and Hashirama usually did whatever he could to make them forget about the war. Tobirama usually protested, insisting that they train for the next battles, but this time he didn't put up much a fight, instead letting Hashirama drag him outside with the others.

"Why would it be the sun?" Itama inquired, gazing at his brother's bright eyes, "It's night-time."

Hashirama smirked, wagging his finger in Itama's face, "Tsk, tsk. The sun doesn't just disappear at night, Itama. It goes west. Remember that one mission I went on? The one to the Land of Rivers?"

Itama made a confused face, while Tobirama sighed, his hands barely moving from Kawarama's ears. "It's the one where he came back half-dead."

"Oh."

Hashirama pouted, "_Anyway,_ on my way there, I noticed that the sun was setting _much_ later than it usually would in the middle of winter. So I figured that if you keep going west and never stop, you'll pretty much be chasing the sun!" He beamed, looking at all his brothers for approval.

Kawarama was making starry eyes, looking at his older brother, face flushed with admiration, "That's so cool!"

"That's ridiculous," Tobirama frowned, crossing his arms. "And the Land of Snow if northeast of here anyway. You won't find any snow in the Land of Rivers, either."

"B—"

"_Or_ in the Land of Wind."

Hashirama sighed and let himself go limp, falling in a starfish position on his back, "You're such a killjoy, Tobirama."

"I won't let you corrupt my younger brothers with your idiocy. What if they were to turn out like you?" Tobirama said resolutely, tightening the crossing of his arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Hashirama cried in indignation, "I-.. I guess I really am dumb, huh?" He muttered, grabbing onto his legs and tucking his chin in near his knees, as he rolled onto his side. "Would you like to push me off this hill, Tobirama? I promise, I won't resist."

"You wouldn't have resisted anyway," Itama mumbled, watching the ticking vein on Tobirama's forehead grow red.

"_Hashiram—!"_

"But if they aren't flowers, then what are they?" Kawarama wondered, reaching up with both hands to grab Tobirama's clenched fist before he could launch an assault with it. Tobirama pursed his lips, looking down at his younger brother. Itama went back to idly watching the sky.

"They're.."

("Flowers," Hashirama muttered. "Shush." Itama hushed him.)

"..souls.." He mused, before shaking his head and responding with a less-questioning tone. "They're souls."

"Eh?"

"Huh?

"Souls?" Kawarama repeated, looking to Hashirama for confirmation.

Tobirama scowled and crossed his arms at that.

"Hmm," The oldest Senju present hummed, "Yep. Definitely. They're the souls of crushed flowers and bonsai all over the world."

"_No,_ that's not what I meant. Forget about your dumb flowers for once." Tobirama glared, going back to covering Kawarama's ears in case Hashirama decided to spout more dumb ideas. "I meant _human_ souls."

"So do you think Mom's up there?" Itama wondered, eyes shifting from the sky to Tobirama.

He pondered over it for a moment, remembering when his birth-giver failed to return home, a year ago, "..She said she'd always be watching over us." He finally spoke, his pale hands falling away from his younger brother's ears to rest on his knees as he drew them up to his chest.

Hashirama watched Kawarama roll over to his side and rest his head on his thigh, knowing that Tobirama didn't like to be stared at in moments like this.

"..If went up there to bring her back, it'd be good." Kawarama nodded to himself, eyes flickering from star-to-star.

"Yeah." Itama agreed, sitting up, "It'd be good."

"You're not being logical." Tobirama said dryly, drawing his eyebrows into a frown, "Father said we should accept her loss and grow stronger from it."

"Tobirama, how you mourn is a personal choice. Do you do everything anyone tells you?" Hashirama asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. That earned him an annoyed look which he ignored, "Itama and Kawarama are both right. It _would_ be good." Hashirama cooed at his youngest brothers beaming face, reaching down to ruffle his hair.

Tobirama probably just didn't want to give himself false hope. He doubted Kawarama really understood what was going on, but he also knew that Itama wasn't just humoring his naivety. They were all the best brothers to ask for. Even Tobirama, the killjoy.

Hashirama reached to ruffle _his_ white hair, too, but Tobirama leaned out of range.

"I'd bet we could pull her down and have her again."

"Stars are a lot of kilometers away, really high up in the sky," Started Tobirama the killjoy, living up to the name once again, "Don't listen to Hashirama. He's too idealistic and you'll only end up disappointed."

Kawarama's chin wrinkled up as he pouted, eyes beginning to shine with tears.

Hashirama's hands went to cross in front of his chest as he fixed Tobirama with a glare. "Look at what you did!" Itama snapped uncharacteristically, rolling over from his spot on the floor to pull Kawarama off of Hashirama's thigh and into a hug.

Tobirama looked away, "Well, it's true," He mumbled, before speaking up with a confident tone, "You can't pull stars down, Itam—"

"Don't listen to Tobirama, Itama! This is what dreams are made out of!" Hashirama shouted, leaping up onto his feet and pointing down at Itama. Itama sent a dry look up at him, letting Kawarama wipe his nose onto his shoulder.

"Don't tell that to _me,_ Brother." He said wryly, sitting up.

Hashirama redirected his finger to Kawarama, "My dream for peace; Your dream to pull stars down; Itama's dream to protect the Clan; and Tobirama's dream to.. to produce.. a good Clan Heir, or something..? And whatever Tobirama's dream is—" Hashirama announced.

Tobirama scowled and crossed his arms.

"—they're all possible and can _all_ come true if we believe in ourselves." He ended with a dramatic finish, pointing up at the sky.

Tobirama sighed at that, "How is believing in yourself gonna launch you kilometers into the sky and—"

He was interrupted by wiggling fingers digging into his side, "_Hashirama!"_ He shrieked, as he was tackled by Hashirama before they went rolling down the hill.

Itama sprung up and looked down the hill, Kawarama following the action out of pure imitation, and watching them tumble over each-other multiple times, by both gravity and by Tobirama trying to fight away from Hashirama's tickles. "_Stop being such a killjoy!"_ They heard Hashirama exclaim.

"_S-Stop!"_

"_It's for your own goo— Ow!"_

The sound of a slap.

"_L-Let g-go!"_

Giggles. Two sets of giggles.

"Ha, I'm not even tickling you anymore and you're still laughing!" Hashirama guffawed, pointed at his white-haired, younger brother merrily.

Tobirama tittered, "Sh-Shut up."

The younger of the two was the first to look up at the sound of chortling, but Hashirama was the one to get nailed in the back of the head by a pair of feet landing on him. One foot on his head and the other in between his shoulder blades.

"Sorry," Itama said in an unapologetic tone, letting Kawarama down from his back as he stepped off of his older brother.

Kawarama was hugging Hashirama's still back as the latter moaned in pain. "Sorry!" He echoed.

Tobirama nodded in approval, smirking down at Hashirama. It didn't take over a minute for Hashirama to recover, though, still rubbing his head with a hand to ease the pain. A second later, his hand glowed green.

"Hey, hey, Older Brother." Kawarama prodded from his spot on Hashirama's lap.

"Mm?" Hashirama glanced at him, trying to focus on healing himself.

"When we go up, too, will be see mom again?"

"..." Tobirama was silent for a moment, before he responded for Hashirama, "Yes."

"Really?" He gasped, turning to look at Tobirama with wide-eyes.

"Yep!" Hashirama confirmed, reaching down with his free hand to ruffle Kawarama's hair. "She sees us right now, like she said she would, but we'll see her then, too!"

That enticed a look of excitement from Kawarama.

"...Don't start planning on going up soon, though." He added quickly, after seeing the bright smile that spread on Kawarama's face.

With that, he finished healing his head, shaking it a few times experimentally to see if he had a headache, before turning to climb back up the hill. There was a vague feeling of a small body clambering up his back, but he paid it no mind. They made it to the top in no time, Tobirama being first to reach the peak, and Kawarama —from his perch of Hashirama's back— being the last.

"..And we'll be stars?" Itama mentioned, tilting his head at Hashirama.

"That's right!" Hashirama reached to wrap his arms around Itama's shoulder and Tobirama's neck, seeing as the latter was elbowing his side and squirming to get away, "The brightest starts up there!"

Tobirama snorted at that, "To be a bright star, you'd have to be 'bright', right?"

It took Hashirama a few minutes to get it, ".._Tobiramaaaa,"_


End file.
